In Case You Missed It: Murkowski Discusses Historic Lands Package
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) this week participated in two national interviews related to S. 47, her bipartisan lands package. On Wednesday, she joined Judy Woodruff on PBS NewsHour and on Thursday, she joined Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) on ABC News to highlight how the bill will benefit communities across the country.
S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act, combines more than 120 bills related to public lands, natural resources, water management, sportsmen’s, and conservation provisions. After the Senate passed the bill 92-8 and the House passed it 363-62 vote, S. 47 is now on the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Senator Murkowski is Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Congressman Grijalva is Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.
CLICK HERE to watch the video.
PBS NewsHour Interview Excerpts:
- “On the policy side of it, I think it's important to recognize that, from the perspective of a conservation piece, permanent authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund is significant, not only in how it will help to facilitate our federal lands, but also with the support that goes to the stateside programs, very significant for a place like Alaska, where we already have our share of federal lands.”
- “Support for stateside funding is very, very significant. So many parochial, small matters that would be considered so minor to us here in Washington, D.C., and yet for a small — a small community in South Dakota, you're able to convey certain land, so an airport can have a small expansion. These allow for economies to thrive, for opportunities in places where opportunities are perhaps limited. It helps with our parks and access. It helps with sportsmen's issues. It helps with water management issues. It's pretty significant.”
CLICK HERE to watch the video.
ABC News Interview Excerpts:
- “Some of the pieces that are pertinent to Alaska will allow for gravel extraction in a small remote area that was requires through land conveyances. So you have land conveyances, land conservation, water management, and sportsmen’s priorities that were included in this.….It was bipartisan, bicameral, good old fashioned legislating that brought in not only those that were focused on the conservation side, but those that are focused on efficiencies with land management, economic benefit to communities, help for our sportsmen and women around the country, while we deal with water and land issues – pretty comprehensive.”
- “But keep in mind we did this the right way. We did this through the legislative process that gained the support of the lawmakers from the prospective states, working with whether it was their governors, state legislators, senators, or the congressman here. That is how you brings about those designations is through that consensus process where it comes literally from the ground up.”
